Text messaging has become a popular mode of communication in many mobile (or wireless) networks. One example of text messaging is Short Message Service (SMS), which is a set of communication protocols allowing the exchange of short text messages (i.e., 160 characters or less) between devices. While the term “text message” traditionally referred to text-only messages sent using SMS, it has been extended to include multimedia messages, such as images, video, sound content, etc. The multimedia messages may be sent using Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol. Many mobile users more frequently use text messaging for communication than voice calls.
One service offered for SMS messaging is an archive service or backup service. An archive service allows end users to store a record of SMS messages that are sent or received through a particular mobile device. For example, an application may be loaded onto a mobile device that is programmed to send a copy of SMS messages that are sent or received to a secure online server for long-term storage. The end user may then access the SMS record at a later time. In another example, service providers may implement an archive server that stores text messages for end users that subscribe to an archive service.